Holden Barina Problems

There are any number of possible reasons, from a shot battery to a faulty starter, and a multitude of other things in between. Take it to a mechanic and have it checked.

It could be a number of things, bearings being one, but I would suggest you have a mechanic drive it to tell you with more certainty. I doubt you would need a new gearbox.

The tyre pressure will be shown on a sticker usually located in the driver’s door opening. The oil level is checked by a dipstick, which you will find on the motor. It will have a yellow handle. The coolant level can be checked by looking at the overflow bottle adjacent to the radiator. For the brake fluid level just remove the brake master cylinder cap.

Diagnosing problems like this one are difficult, Willie, mainly because you can bet your bottom dollar that the car won’t reproduce the problem when your mechanic drives it. But three or four times every tank of fuel is not funny and, should the problem rear its head just as you’re about to enter a busy road or turn across traffic, it could be very dangerous, too.

But the fact that the car runs perfectly most of the time suggests that it’s not a problem with any of the actual, mechanical engine parts, or it wouldn’t run properly at all. That leaves you with fuel, spark or the computer that controls everything as your most likely suspects. A dodgy sensor such as a crank-angle, camshaft-angle, temperature, oxygen or throttle-position sensor can cause problems like these and sensors have definitely been known to throw up intermittent faults.

The best bet is to have the car scanned by a dealership or workshop with the correct computer gear. Otherwise you could be chasing your tail for weeks, wasting time and money as you change sensors that were working properly and still not fix the problem.

It has a timing belt, which has a recommended change interval of 10 years or 160,000 km whichever comes first.

You can’t. It’s filled with fluid in the factory and that’s it for the life of the car. If you want it checked or changed an automatic transmission mechanic could do it for you.

A car that feels unstable even in a straight line is a potential death trap. The higher speeds on the open road (as opposed to driving around the suburbs) are obviously amplifying the problem, but whatever it is needs to be fixed fast. To be honest, I wouldn’t be driving it at all.

You could be looking at a problem with either the steering system itself, worn suspension or even a loose (or rusted) front cross-member that is allowing things to move in directions they shouldn’t. Don’t rule out poor wheel alignment or even incorrect tyre pressures, either. Has the car been crashed and repaired? Poor crash repairs can leave a car misaligned, making it steer and handle oddly. Either way, get it checked and fixed pronto.

It’s probably a leaking heater hose or connection of some sort associated with the heater. Take it to your Holden dealer who I imagine would be able to fix it under warranty.

Make sure the dealer understands your predicament and urge them to airfreight the necessary parts to Australia.

The first thing to check is the fuse. The location of the fuses panel will be shown in the owner’s manual; that should also show which fuse is the one for the instrument panel.